Pennsylvania fishing reports
507 reports for Pennsylvania — what's biting, water temps, and where to focus.
Lake Erie Walleye and Smallmouth Peak as Full Moon Hits Presque Isle
On The Water's recent podcast with Captain Joe Fonzi — billed as 'the saltiest freshwater guide in America' — spotlights Lake Erie's walleye and trophy smallmouth as the standout story this spring, with goby-driven forage credited for above-average fish size and density across the lake. No surface temperature is confirmed today; USGS gauge 04213000 logged a tributary inflow of 449 cfs Sunday morning, and buoy feeds returned empty — so lake temps remain unverified. Early May typically places western Lake Erie in range for strong post-spawn walleye activity on the offshore bars and active smallmouth staging along the rocky nearshore structure around Presque Isle. Tonight's full moon extends productive low-light feeding windows — walleye are notorious for going on the feed at dusk and dawn under a full moon. No local charter or tackle-shop reports are in today's feed, but the Fonzi conversation on On The Water makes clear the Lake Erie fishery is running well above baseline this season.
Susquehanna at 53°F and 26,000 CFS: Shad Run Peaks, Trout Active Under Full Moon
USGS gauge 01540500 clocked 53°F and 26,000 cubic feet per second on the Susquehanna at 7:30 this morning — a sizable spring pulse that tells two stories at once: flows are elevated enough to push most anglers off mid-river wading, but water temperature is squarely in the prime zone for trout and pre-spawn smallmouth. The Fly Fishing Forum logged a Pennsylvania angler's early-season catch — palomino, native brook trout, and two rainbows already in the net this season — consistent with what 53°F spring water typically produces on PA limestone and freestone streams. American shad, the Susquehanna's marquee May event, are expected to be in mid-migration at this temperature, though no charter or tackle-shop report from this specific system came through today. The full moon tonight adds a feeding-window bonus at first light and last light. Focus on eddy lines, tributary mouths, and slack water behind boulders where fish can hold out of the heaviest current.
55-degree water, 34,600 CFS flow — spring bass and pike bite arrives in PA
The Susquehanna and Allegheny are running at 34,600 cubic feet per second with water temperatures holding at 55°F, setting up classic late-April freshwater conditions in Pennsylvania. Spring spawning patterns are underway, with bass moving through shallow flats and pike sliding into recovery zones as temperatures climb. Per Wired 2 Fish, early-season northern pike fishing is entering a window where cold water and post-recovery positioning make them highly predictable. The Outdoor Hub reports that catfish regulations in the Ohio River Basin (which includes the Allegheny and Monongahela) are under review for potential 2027 changes, so check current state rules before targeting bottom-feeders. This window typically represents some of the year's most consistent fishing — conditions are right for both active lures and slower presentations on structure.